Murray staying positive despite loss on return to action

Andy Murray insists he is staying positive despite losing on his return to action following back surgery.

Murray took on Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi on Boxing Day, his first game since going under the knife in September.

But it was not a happy return for the 26-year-old, who was recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, as Tsonga came out on top 7-5 6-3.

It was Murray’s first game since Britain’s Davis Cup World Group play-off victory over Croatia in September and he admits it was good to be back even if the result wasn’t what he had hoped for.

"I moved well in the first set [against [Tsonga], especially once I got into the rallies," Murray told The National newspaper.

"I didn't feel slow at all. In the second I slowed down slightly, but that's something that is going to get better by playing matches.

"I can't expect to feel great for long periods of matches straightaway.

"But it was a good workout. You want to play your best, but you need to be realistic and patient.

"I was hitting the ball OK, moving well for the most part. Moving is the most important thing. I just need to be able to do it for a longer period. I just felt like I hadn't played a match for a while."